Defending His Own

prison, and Deborah Vaughn had been free from threats and harassment for nearly two weeks.

Ashe had been waiting for Buck Stansell to strike, but nothing had happened, not even a wrong number telephone call. He'd thought about paying Buck a visit, but decided against it. Why take a chance on stirring a hornet's nest? He had talked to his cousin Lee Roy, who'd said little, except that people weren't overly concerned with an insignificant guy like Lon Sparks, that the man wasn't worth enough to cause trouble over.

Roarke had suggested it might be time to think about returning to Atlanta, but Ashe kept putting him off. How could he take a chance on leaving Deborah undefended? She'd come to mean far more to him than she should. He had allowed himself to become too involved with her, with Allen and Miss Carol. This was a job, but not like any other. These were people he cared about, a family he'd started thinking of as his.

Maybe he had reached the age when he needed to settle down, to start considering marriage and children. He wasn't sure. He and Deborah were attracted to each other, always had been, although he'd fought that attraction when they'd been younger. Maybe somewhere deep down inside him, he'd always thought he wasn't quite good enough for Deborah. Not just because her parents were wealthy and socially prominent and he'd come from white trash hoodlums, but because he'd never been innocent or pure or good, and Deborah had been all those things. Even now, at twenty-eight, she still personified everything right with the world.

And he still wasn't good enough for her.

Ashe paced the floor in the doctor's office, waiting for Deborah and Miss Carol. He'd told himself that he would hang around Sheffield until they knew the test results. It was as good an excuse as any. This way he could justify his reluctance to leave, to Deborah and her family, as well as to himself.

Sitting, he flipped through several magazines, then stood and paced the floor again. He glanced at the wall clock, checking it against his watch. Nearly an hour. Dammit, how long did it take for a doctor to explain test results?

Just when his patience came to an end, Deborah and Miss Carol emerged from the office, solemn expressions on their faces. Deborah's arm draped her mother's slender shoulders.

'We're ready to go home, now, Ashe,' Deborah said.

Ashe didn't ask any questions, didn't say a word, simply nodded his head and led the ladies outside and assisted them into the car.

Miss Carol, sitting in the front seat beside Ashe, reached over and touched his arm lightly. 'Can you stay awhile longer?'

'Yes, ma'am, of course I can stay.' He pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the main thoroughfare.

'Deborah and Allen will need you,' Carol said.

'Mother, please don't—' Deborah said.

'Hush up.' Carol swatted her hand in the air. 'Ashe is like family and I want him here. Even if you think you can handle this alone, I believe you'll need a strong man at your side.'

'I take it the tests results weren't good.' Ashe kept his gaze fixed straight ahead.

'The cancer has returned and Dr. Mason has scheduled surgery for the first of next week.' Carol opened her purse, took out a lace handkerchief and wiped her hands, then returned the handkerchief to her purse.

'I'm sorry, Miss Carol.'

'No need for all this gloom and doom.' Carol sat up straight, squaring her shoulders as if preparing herself to do battle. 'I licked this thing once and I can do it again. But I'll rest easier knowing Deborah won't be alone, that you'll be at her side.'

'You hired me, Miss Carol. I won't leave Sheffield as long as you need me.'

'Thank you, Ashe.' She patted him on the arm.

Little more was said on the short drive home. Indeed, what more could be said? Ashe wondered. Life certainly didn't play fair. Not when it heaped more trouble on one family than it could bear. But then, Deborah and Miss Carol were both strong women. They were fighters despite their genteel backgrounds.

Sirens blasted, shrill and menacing in the quite, lazy atmosphere of Sheffield's main street.

'Oh, my.' Carol shivered. 'I do so hate the sound of those things. Sirens always mean bad news.'

'Look at that black smoke,' Deborah said. 'It's coming straight up Montgomery Avenue.'

'My goodness, you don't suppose it's one of our neighbors' homes, do you?' Miss Carol leaned toward the windshield, her gaze riveted to the billowing smoke filling the blue sky.

The closer they came to home, the darker the smoke, the louder the sirens. A sudden sick feeling hit Ashe in the pit of his stomach. Allen was still at school. Roarke would be with him. Ashe blew out a breath.

Before they reached the Vaughn driveway, they saw one fire truck parked at the back of the house and another just turning in behind it. 'It's our garage!' Deborah gripped the back of her mother's seat. 'It's on fire!'

Ashe pulled the Cadillac up to the curb, stopped and jumped out. 'Stay here.' He ran across the front yard.

'Stay in the car, Mother. I'll come back and check on you in just a few minutes.'

'But Ashe said for both of us to stay here,' Carol said.

'Ashe isn't my boss.'

Deborah jumped out of the car, catching up with Ashe at the back corner of the house, where he stood watching the firemen do their job. He grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to his side.

'It's just the garage,' he said. 'And it looks like they're getting the fire under control.'

'Mazie? Where's Mazie? Is she all right?'

'She's at the grocery store. Remember? This is Wednesday morning, her midweek trip to pick up supplies.'

'Oh, yes, of course.'

Deborah leaned against Ashe, watching while the firefighters extinguished the blaze, leaving a charred three-car garage, a blackened Mercedes, a soot-covered BMW and swirling clouds of gray smoke spiraling heavenward.

Fire Chief Greg Wilbanks nodded, removed his hat and wiped his face with the back of his hand. 'Damn curious blaze. Whoever set this baby didn't try to hide the fact that it was out-and-out arson.'

'What do you mean?' Deborah asked.

'The place was doused with gasoline and torched. We found two empty gas cans at the back of the house.' Greg looked at Ashe. 'I've called Chief Burton. I'd say your job isn't finished, Mr. McLaughlin. Looks like somebody's out to get himself a little revenge.'

'Ashe?' Deborah grabbed his arm. 'Do you think that—'

'I don't think anything,' he said.

'But Greg said—'

'I know what he said. There's no point jumping to conclusions. We'll take every precaution, but we're not going to panic.' He grasped her by the shoulders. 'Go tell Miss Carol that everything's all right. The fire's out. Tell her the truth, but play it down. There's no need to worry her any more than can be helped.'

'You're right.' She slipped her arms around Ashe's waist and sighed when he hugged her close. Pulling away, she tried to smile. 'I'll take Mother in the front door. There's no need for her to see this until later.'

'Don't read anything into this,' Ashe said. 'Not yet. Let me handle things. I'm not going anywhere, not until you're completely out of danger. Trust me, honey.'

'I do trust you. With all my heart.'

Ashe watched her walk away, a tight knot forming in the pit of his stomach. She expected a great deal from him. Was it more than he could deliver? Would he let her down again, or could he be the man Deborah wanted and needed?

Ashe approached Greg Wilbanks. 'When Chief Burton arrives, tell him I'd prefer he not bother Miss Carol or Deborah. I'll talk to him. And once you've filed your report on this fire, I'd like a copy.'

'As Miss Carol's representative?' Greg asked.

'Yeah, as Miss Carol's representative.'

'No problem.'

Going in the back door, Ashe met Carol and Deborah in the hallway.

'I'm taking Mother upstairs to rest,' Deborah told him, then turned to assist her mother. 'I'll fix you some tea